


Strings Attached

by strawberryjunhee



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Music, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Light Angst, Multi, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 14:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14334801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryjunhee/pseuds/strawberryjunhee
Summary: "I found your channel years ago and fell in love with your guitar covers and now we're neighbors and I can't deal with this?"OrI suck at descriptions and Yuchan yells a lot at Donghun. Also Wowson.





	1. Move in Day

**Author's Note:**

> Based off my profile picture cause DAMN. Also, Junhee playing backstage during Peste.  
> Also, I do not know much about guitars. I do not play any instruments because I can't put forth the effort. I will be doing research in the name of writing, however, if I get things incorrect please do point it out. There shouldn't be much now since it's the start but further down the line.  
> Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the first chapter.

Moving places was a hassle. A painful one. There was finding an apartment that was close enough to his workplace. Talking to the landlord, which, Donghun wasn't a massive fan of talking to someone over phone. He was awkward. Not funny in the slightest. He used sarcasm to cover it up most of the time. But this was a stranger, not friends that were accustomed to his ways. She was nice, they met up for coffee at one point. Not anything romantic, just to discuss some ground rules and such. Kept on trying to crack jokes and Donghun sat there, staring at his mug. Packing up all of his stuff. Saying his goodbye's to his former roommate and partner in crime, Byeongkwan. The midget was a combination of disappointed and relieved. Sad because they had been roommates for so long and who wouldn't miss Donghun?

Relieved was mostly felt by Donghun. No more hearing Byeongkwan beg Sehyoon, his boyfriend of 3 years, to 'fuck me harder'. Thin walls. Therapy sessions for years. Byeongkwan was happy he found his own place though.

Donghun moved without any furniture. Mostly because he was lazy and didn't want to have to move it. He knew he would have to get furniture eventually, but he would worry about that later. He had an air mattress and multiple beanbags for now. He would survive.

The apartment was decent. No bugs, or plumbing problems. The ice machine in the fridge was broken but that wasn't something massive. A generally safe area. Donghun sighed into the empty apartment, it was tempting to invite someone over. There were moving boxes all over the place though, and Donghun's pride would be damaged greatly if someone saw how untidy everything was. Sure, no one would judge him probably because he  _just_ moved. Still. It can always happen. 

Donghun picked up his phone and squinted at the screen. He had a few missed texts from Yuchan. They mostly consisted of emojis. Although one asked if he had met any of his neighbors yet. That wasn't something he had planned on doing until he had to. Donghun had a few close friends and it took a lot for him to socialize sometimes. He didn't crave attention as much as he did when he was younger. Which was ironic, since he wanted to be a singer, and still does. Donghun could live with teaching future singers for now though. The idea that one day he could see someone he taught on a stage one day, surrounded by thousands of fans comforts him. 

Just before Donghun was about to doze off (on the floor), someone on the front door knocked. It was impossible to move in somewhere discreetly. Someone had to notice that Donghun moved into the complex. It looks like all his prayers for not having a neighbor didn't work. He considered not answering the door. That was an asshole move though. A sure way to make a horrible first impression. 

Donghun looked out the small peephole. No murderer there. If he was back in University, Donghun would have opened the door with no hesitance. His willingness to die was terrifying back then.

The temperature in the hallway was at least 20 degrees colder than inside his apartment. Jolting Donghun awake, forcing him to analyze the person in front of him,

It was 9:21 P.M, who on Earth goes to a stranger's apartment this late?

"Hi!" Donghun was already way more alert because of the wall of frigid air that hit him once he opened the door but his brain was really awake now. Because he knew that voice. Really well in fact. "I am sorry for coming out so late but I just wanted to stop by and...greet you formally?".

"My name is Junhee Park" Junhee greeted. Donghun held back from saying 'I know'. "Technically I'm not your 'formal' neighbor since I live across from you but no one lives next to you so..yeah".

"Donghun Lee, it's-"  _An honor?  A blessing? The biggest privilege of his entire existence?_ "It's a pleasure to meet you".

Junhee's thumbs were a massive knot at this point. "If you need anything, just swing by!" Junhee smiled and gestured towards his apartment. 

"Uh-thank you" Donghun replied.

The goodbye was painfully awkward.

It didn't help that the second Donghun closed the door, he had to hold back a scream. 

Did he really live next to fucking Park Junhee? What sins did he commit in the past life to deserve this? Park Junhee. Or as Donghun knew him, Jun. Donghun had accidentally clicked on a cover video of Jun's and quickly became obsessed. Donghun was stressed about his workload during his high school years and for whatever reason, Junhee's videos was a source of relief. Junhee's channel was small, barely being up for 4 months by the time Donghun discovered it. It only had 100 subscribers. And even now, it was still a small channel. It barely hit a million a week ago. Even though it has been up for so long.

In between the cover videos, Junhee did small updates on his life. Due to their recent encounter, Donghun was convinced it took Junhee hours to write a script for each one. Donghun wasn't sure what he expected. He didn't expect to ever meet Junhee, to begin with. An image of how Junhee would act in real life was built up in his mind though. Someone a bit more charismatic, charming and confident. The desirable C's. He also thought Junhee would be less..scrawny? With all the dancing the kid does, it was understandable.

Nope. Junhee had skinny, bird-like limbs. And he had very similar features to a cat. 

Donghun reached for his phone, ready to call Byeongkwan and scream. Byeongkwan knew that Donghun liked the channel. "He is a pretty good guitarist..and singer...and dancer". There were a few minutes of silence as Byeongkwan watched a video."What the hell does this guy not do?".

Donghun clicked on his contact. After a few rings, a rather patronizing tone filtered through the speakers. "Miss me already hyung?".

That was Byeongkwan for sure.

"You wish," Donghun said. He missed the kid a bit already though. They both pranked Yuchan and Sehyoon a handful of times together. "Do you remember that one guy from youtube? The one who did all the covers and stuff?".

"Uh yeah" Byeongkwan mused. "The one with small hands?".

"That's the one" Donghun confirmed. "So, he is my neighbor now".

The line seemed to grow quiet. Knowing Byeongkwan, that meant certain death. "He is not what you expect him to be, that's all I can say".

"Is he hot?".

"Fuck off".

 


	2. Waking up to a blaring fire alarm is always fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang helps Donghun unpack, sort of, and Junhee can't cook.

"..And to put it simply, Donghun is a total fanboy for a pretty boy online" Byeongkwan summarized. Donghun had bribed Sehyoon, Sehyoon's midget and Yuchan to help him unpack in exchange for Chinese takeout. Yuchan and Sehyoon were unpacking the cutlery and plates. Byeongkwan, the poor thing, had to put up Donghun's shower curtain. Donghun could easily put it up by himself but he liked seeing Byeongkwan suffer. And Donghun was hanging up his clothes in the closet. 

"I am not a total fanboy" Donghun corrected. He wasn't. Was Junhee talented? Yes. Did he enjoy appreciating said talent? Yes. Doesn't make him a  _total_ fanboy. "I just appreciate his work, that's all". Half of the closet was done, he should be able to finish the entire thing in 10 minutes or less. 

"Do you mind telling us who you guys are talking about?" Sehyoon asked. Yuchan nodded in agreement. "All I heard was a pretty boy Youtuber that Donghun likes". 

"I do not like him" Donghun retorted. "I barely know him, besides, he probably puts on an act online". 

Byeongkwan shook his head. "You freaked out everytime he posted another video!".

"It's called being a fan" Donghun replied. Sometimes, Junhee would disappear for no reason. He would come back and apologize profusely for his absence and produce a bunch of videos to make up for it. That's when Donghun freaked out over each upload. It was nice knowing Junhee wasn't dead. Those periods of absence had become a rarity now, and when Junhee didn't post, there was an explanation beforehand. 

In the midst of Donghun's crushing high school existence, Junhee's videos managed to clear his mind. Most of the time, the videos were posted late at night. Perfectly synced up with Donghun's studying hours. Using a shitty webcam and a mediocre microphone. In between the gentle strumming of a guitar and small little songs composed out of nowhere, Junhee would talk about little things in his life. School, family and random things that happened in his neighborhood.  _'My mom bought me a bunch of strawberry yogurts today, so much for losing weight'._ Donghun would glance up from his textbook from time to time only to see a soft smile on Junhee's face. It was pure and wholesome. The old videos usually pressed Youtube's time limit. Those had a part 2 posted after 20 minutes. 

"Okay! Donghun's a fan of some guy on the internet!" Yuchan yelled, "can we get food now?". 

"Don't we have to finish unpacking?" Sehyoon muttered.

"Food is more important" Donghun answered. He heard Yuchan cry out in happiness and held back a laugh. Although Sehyoon was a sucker for sweets, Yuchan was always excited when it came to food. He turned to Byeongkwan. "Aren't you and Sehyoon going on a diet soon or something?".

"Yup! So this is basically our last day of freedom" Byeongkwan seemed almost too happy about it. 

"Why would you do that to yourselves," Yuchan said, sympathy evident in his tone. "Sehyoon-hyung won't last a week, I'm calling it now".

"We all know he won't last an hour" Donghun laughed. "He likes cheeseburgers too much".

Donghun called and ordered. Byeongkwan spent an hour ranting about a lady who had her child on a leash. He almost choked on his noodles, which Donghun scoffed at, he knew for a fact that Byeongkwan had taken longer. Sehyoon forgot to lock the bathroom door sometimes.

In the midst of Byeongkwan's rant- ' _Keep your kinks inside the bedroom'-_ Donghun pulled out his phone and checked twitter. Which, he rarely used. The first thing he saw was a tweet from Junhee. Which, his username was @Suncheon_Kangta, Donghun cringed the first time he read it. Junhee was doing a live stream at 7:00 P.M, he could get behind that. 

"Just because you like being choked, doesn't mean your child does" Byeongkwan finished, dropping a plastic fork into a container. Donghun tried to remember where the _hell_ the conversation went but he couldn't. 

"Oh, I should probably head home, I have to study," Yuchan said, tossing his food into the trash. "Later hyungs, thanks for the food Donghun! I'll help you unpack more soon".

"We should probably go home too" Byeongkwan started. "We are going to gym early tomorrow, wanna join?". Donghun spotted Sehyoon's displeasure at the news. 

"If Sehyoon's facial expressions are anything to go by, I'll pass" Donghun answered. "Stay alive you two".

 

By the time Donghun finished up cleaning, it was 6:55. He grabbed a soda and started up his computer. Truth be told, he hasn't had much time to watch Junhee's videos. Donghun would watch them while he was a train or waiting for someone, but hasn't had the time to actually sit and watch one. This was his last day of vacation before he had to head back to work, might as well enjoy it. 

Junhee, true to his word, went live at exactly 7:00 P.M. Donghun clicked on the video, a generous amount of people were watching already, around 300. 

It was a weird feeling, knowing that the person on the screen was right across the hallway. Donghun examined the room. The camera quality was slightly better, showing an incredibly clean apartment, and a tired-looking Junhee. "Wow! There are so many of you already". 

There was no awkwardness in his voice, which was weird. Donghun would think that talking to a screen in an empty apartment would be weird for Junhee, but, guess he was wrong. "How are you? I'm good. A bit tired but I always am". 

The live stream had barely been live for 3 minutes but Donghun already felt..relaxed. The same relaxation he always felt when he watched one of Junhee's videos. "What should I do for 1 million subscribers? I still can't believe I hit it honestly". The chat exploded with suggestions, Junhee gave a small smile. "Do a Q&A? Pfft, who would be interested in asking me questions?".

Donghun's phone lit up, showing a delayed notification from Youtube. Those were always late. It could be 2 minutes late, or it could be a day late. "Have you eaten? Oh! Ha, I completely forgot. Guess it slipped my mind. Don't skip meals everyone, that's a PSA. I just totally forgot".

"You guys really want a Q&A huh? Alright, ask me questions on twitter! I-" The stream became delayed for a second, the internet was kind of bad in this complex. "Rayoon! Hi! I'm so happy you can join us. Everyone, say hi to Rayoon Kim. He's a friend of mine". Honest, Donghun was trying to stay awake for the stream. He had this problem before, where he would just fall asleep while studying because of Jun's videos.

When Junhee started playing on his keyboard and singing a song that Donghun didn't know the name of, it was over 

"Just listen to the music and relax, if you fall asleep, that's okay. Extra sleep is never a bad thing" Agreed. 

Sleeping was something Donghun grew to appreciate. He enjoyed a quiet, peaceful sleep just like anyone else. What he didn't enjoy was the sound of blaring fire alarms interrupting his sleep. Initially, Donghun thought he started the fire somehow. Maybe left the oven on and fell asleep. But no, he hasn't cooked anything for the entire day. He has barely touched the oven. 

The live stream ended. It was 10:23 P.M now. Donghun shot up, slipping on some shoes and covering his ears.

He exited his door, half expecting to see the hallway filled with thick smoke and half expecting it not to be. He got the latter. He saw a few other neighbors in the hallway, looking confused and agitated. And Junhee, staring at the floor and biting his lip. 

"I'm so sorry everyone! I was cooking something and it burned" Junhee began. "Then a lot of smoke started rising causing the alarms to be set off, there is no actual fire". 

An older woman just gave a gentle laugh. "It's fine Junhee-ah, as long as you aren't hurt". Junhee's eyes locked with his for a moment.

"Donghun, sorry about all this commotion" Junhee apologized. Donghun almost laughed. Not at Junhee, but at how different he was online and off. "Everyone can go back to sleep".

"It's okay, we all fuck up sometimes," Donghun said, shrugging. Junhee gave a small nod. "Don't beat yourself up about it".

"Mhm! Well, um, goodnight!" Junhee rushed, cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Night".

Donghun changed out of his clothes and into some proper pajamas. He plugged in his phone and set up his alarm. Tomorrow, he had work.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to keep a consistent once a week update schedule. But since I got a massive burst of motivation and I am not that busy, here's a second chapter earlier than expected. Also, don't worry about the amount of Junhee-Donghun interaction right now. There will be more soon. Also, Sehyoon. He is going to be important in the later chapters.


	3. I have at least 20 umbrellas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghun is unprepared for the thunderstorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is shorter than I wanted it to be.  
> School is kicking my butt right now.  
> The next chapter should be longer though!

Waking up to an alarm clock was horrible. It didn't even matter if Donghun got a full nights rest the night prior. And getting out of bed was an entirely different story. It took Donghun 5 minutes to motivate himself to leave the warm covers of his bed. He wasn't a morning person. He couldn't trust a person who was a morning person.

The only thing that convinced Donghun to roll out of bed was the promise of a hot shower. It was 7:10. He didn't have to be at work until 8:30, technically. Ideally, he should be there by 8 but his first student doesn't come until 8:45. Donghun squinted at the harsh bathroom light. Taking a hot shower did one of two things: wake him up or make him even sleepier. It was a dangerous game every morning, trying to figure out which one it will be. 

Donghun brushed his teeth while waiting for the shower to heat up. He was tempted to crawl back into his bed. He could get ready in 30 minutes, right? No, he couldn't. Donghun tried that once. His hair ended up being soaking wet for half of the day. That wasn't fun.

He had such elaborate thoughts in the shower. Usually, it ended up with him having an existential crisis. The weirdest thing though was that the second he exited the shower, all of those thoughts seem to vanish. He has no recollection of what he thought of. It was freaky. 

7:21, so much for conserving water. 

Donghun could cook. Not elaborate meals that could feed a 20-person family but he could cook. Breakfast was something that always confused him. If he was in a rush, a piece of toast and a banana would suffice. He wasn't in a rush though, but he didn't exactly have all the time in the world. Donghun glanced out the window and his heart dropped. It was pitch black. Storm clouds loomed over the buildings, promising loud thunder and bright flashes of lightning. 

Maybe he could pick up something on his way to work. That would be the best.

Donghun checked the weather on his phone. Sure enough, severe thunderstorms all day. Yuchan texted him right before he was about to shut off his phone.

**7:27-** **Chanshine:**

_Be careful on your way to work! The clouds look scary_.

**7:27-Hun**

_No kidding. What are you doing up this early?_

**7:29-Chanshine**

_Morning classes~_

_Do you want to go out on Friday, get some chicken?_

_I want to torture Sehyoon-hyung with pictures_

_Byeongkwan said he has actually been doing well for his first day._

How could he say no to chicken? And with the plus of torturing Sehyoon? A perfect deal. He wanted to make Sehyoon break.

That sounded horrible. Donghun looks after Sehyoon a lot. The kid needs to eat more healthy foods, this experience will just build up his willpower.

Hopefully.

**7:30-Hun**

_Yeah, aren't you like broke though?_

**7:31-Chanshine**

_So mean!! I'm fine thank you._

_See you Friday, at like 8-ish?_

**7:33-Donghun** _  
_

_Sounds good_

Donghun got dressed, giving the occasional look towards a window. He should take an umbrella. Donghun wasn't walking to work, but they didn't have a covered garage. He wasn't about to sit in a cold car, soaking wet. The entire apartment, curse his luck, held no signs of an umbrella. They had storms before. Donghun was usually already in the car, at work, or home by the time they hit though.

Looks like he would just have to race against the storm.

"You don't look dressed for a storm," Junhee told him. Donghun was locking his apartment door when Junhee exited his. 

"I didn't know there was going to be one" Donghun admitted. There was no sign of a storm, none at all. Even the birds stayed put. "I don't have an emergency wardrobe for storms anyways". Junhee's eyes' went to his hands. 

"Do you not have an umbrella?" Nope. Donghun has been an adult for 7 years now, and he still doesn't have his own umbrella. "I can give you one, I don't want you getting sick or something".

Why does he care? They talked twice. "It's an apology for waking you up with the fire alarm" Junhee added. "I need to get rid of some umbrellas anyways, I have 30 of them".

Donghun rose an eyebrow at that. Having 2 or 3 umbrellas was understandable. It was nice to have a back up in case one got lost. But...30? "Why do you have 30?".

Junhee shrugged. "When I go shopping, I forget I have umbrellas already. So I see one and think 'Oh! I need one' and then buy 2. My closet is overfilled with umbrellas all the time".

 "Give me a minute" Donghun nodded, glancing down the hallway. There was a door at the end of it. It looked like it was nighttime outside. 

30 umbrellas. God, Junhee was his role model for so many years. Still is, but...30 umbrellas.

"Here, and it's okay to keep it," Junhee said, handing him a dark blue umbrella. "I should have a sale for all of them, I could make some decent money".

Donghun nodded absentmindedly. "You heading out?".

"Yeah, I have a meeting" Junhee sighed. "It's way too early but I couldn't exactly protest against it".

Donghun started walking down the hall, Junhee looked a bit confused before following him. "Meetings are hell, good luck".

"Thanks, I'll need it" Junhee replied. Donghun tapped the floor number. The elevator floor had some coffee splattered on the tiles. "What about you?".

"Off to work" Donghun yawned. 

"What do you do?"

"I'm a vocal coach" 

Junhees' eyes lit up. They should. Almost half of Junhee's career was based off singing. His voice was heavenly when combined with a piano. It was _always_  heavenly, the piano just helped. "You must be a fantastic singer than".

"My mom was too, so I am assuming it's genetic," Donghun said. "My dad is tone death through".

The elevator doors opened. Donghun let out a sigh of relief when there was no downpour. 

 "Well, it was nice talking to you" Junhee smiled. "Stay dry Donghun".

Donghun nodded towards him. "You too".

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went through a small, brief period where I was re-reading my last two chapters and I had to walk away from my computer for 20 minutes to prevent myself from deleting this story.  
> Also, Junhee meditates in the dorm. I didn't think I could love him anymore but?? Here we are.


	4. Guitar Puns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junhee's live streams are good background noise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewrite this chapter 2 times.  
> It was supposed to be longer, but I couldn't force myself to rewrite the entire thing the third time, I'm sorry.

"I don't have anything against cats or dogs" Junhee's voice filters through his computer speakers. "I really want to get a pet, but I'm so busy right now. Getting another dog would be ideal-not that I don't like cats, I grew up around dogs so I guess I am more used to them-but a cat would be ideal for my living situation and they are so cute!" Donghun found himself subconsciously nodding at the statement. He was filling out evaluation sheets for his students. Older kids got the more plain looking sheets of paper and the younger ones had little scribbles of happy faces decorating the outside. 

It was constructive criticism. All of his kids were really talented. They just needed pointers. "My life isn't that interesting, sorry to say. If I were to do a storytime video, it would have to be made up. I don't want to bore you guys to death" Do Kyungsoo has a fantastic voice. he just needs to work on his facial expressions. "Annoying neighbors? I didn't have a neighbor until recently and he is actually really cool."

Better than what Donghun was expecting. Normally people say he looks depressed. Curse his eyes. 

Eyeing the mountain of papers he still had to fill out, Donghun pulled away from the table. He got up from his chair and stretched, he needed to get better chairs, his back was killing him. 

"Sometimes I get worried that my neighbors watch my videos," Donghun held back a snort. "It's just like I act that differently on and off camera, it's just awkward."

It's almost like seeing a celebrity in a grocery store. A part of you  _knows_ they have to eat food to live but imagining them doing so much mundane things is almost impossible. When he was younger, he thought celebrities didn't sleep. It was a ridiculous thought but it made sense to his young mind. Donghun still thinks Jun stays up all night on his guitar and writes songs until the sun rises. The only way you see celebrities normally, besides paparazzi photos, is at award ceremonies wearing expensive clothing. Looking smug. The majority are, there are some exceptions.

Donghun lives next to Junhee now but he still can't comprehend an image of Junhee doing anything other than singing or dancing. Domestic activities like cooking or folding laundry can't seem to be rendered.

Considering the fact that Jun almost set the entire apartment complex on fire, cooking might not be ideal.

Speaking of cooking, Donghun should make something. It's almost 8 P.M. 

Half of his fridge had something chicken based. But he couldn't have chicken because Yuchan was taking him out on Friday. Yes, it's a few days away but Donghun doesn't want to risk losing his appetite for chicken. 

The only things he had left were sweet corn, turkey, bread, coffee milk, and jar a mayonnaise in his fridge. He needs to go grocery shopping. 

Turkey sandwich it is then.

Byeongkwan texted him once he put the bread in a toaster, whining about how Sehyoon beat him in a push-up contest. Jun's live stream was still going on in the background.

Here he was, making a turkey sandwich while the planet he calls home is spinning in the empty void of space.

The toaster dinged before he could have a proper existential crisis. Which Donghun was both grateful and resentful for. He finished making the sandwich and grabbed one of his (very limited) plates before heading back to his laptop.

"I should probably start signing out, some friends are taking me out and I won't hear the end of it if I'm late for it," Junhee grumbled. "Before I go, the Q&A video should be up by Friday at the latest since I still have some last minute editing to do."

"I hope you all had a nice time, see you all soon. Bye!" With the exception of audio and video quality, Junhee's channel hasn't changed all that much throughout the years. He's still the same bubbly teenager that played guitar and piano at odd hours in the morning. The stream ended, leaving a goofy-looking thumbnail in its place

Being a proper adult, Donghun replied back to some emails. They were all work-related. From his co-workers and such but that's about where the work relation ends. His co-workers usually end up talking trash about their students' parents, a  crime Donghun isn't innocent from. He wonders why they don't just create a group chat. It's not like they live in the early 70's. It does minimize the possibility of sending offensive content to the wrong person though.

He washes his plate and finished 3 more evaluation sheets. His mother sends him a recipe for a cake for no reason and Donghun thanks her. Donghun wouldn't want to try baking it, too much effort.

Donghun ends up having a weird dream about sweet corn. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want a turkey sandwich.


	5. Chicken and Beer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuchan takes Donghun out (platonically)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I go through one story without torturing Junhee? Questions science still can't answer.  
> Also, it's kind of late, so any grammar or spelling errors will be fixed soon!

Yuchan could put away a lot of food and still be hungry. Donghun knew that he has known the kid for a couple of years now. But as Yuchan finished the last piece of chicken on the 4th plate they ordered, Donghun realized the full extent of that statement. He finished eating after the 3rd plate came in and that was pushing it.

"I'm still kind of hungry, I might order ano-"

"You're still hungry?" Donghun asked, incredulous. Yuchan shrugged shamelessly. "Just drink some beer, it should fill your stomach up."

"Encouraging me to get drunk," Yuchan teased. "I see what you're doing Hun."

"The more you drink, the less there is to tempt me." Donghun reasoned.

"Thank you for being the designated driver." Yuchan grinned.

Donghun had to be designated driver, he was older after all. Chicken and beer were the perfect cure for a stressful week. Although Donghun couldn't say it was horrible, it wasn't the best week. Parents these days seem to think that he has it out for their kid. Or that he isn't doing his best to teach them. Both aren't true. Which then leads to a bunch of arguments where parents would start arguing with him. And Donghun would have to keep his calm or else he runs the risk of getting fired.

It's like being a teacher but with fewer staff meetings.

There was also the regular drama amongst the vocal teachers. Rumors and gossip weren't common, unless about their student's parents, but this week was an exception. An intern sent a nude to a high-up which caused a lot of awkward tension between them at the front desk. Taeyeon had spread it like wildfire.

It was a mess.

"How are classes?" Donghun asks, he needs to focus on someone else's drama. 

Yuchan gladly jumps at the bait. "My Anatomy and Physiology professor has it out for me, I'm sure of it." 

"She could clearly tell I didn't know the answer, and I was doing all of the signs of not knowing an answer-" Avoiding eye contact, pretending to be thinking and staring at your textbook 'looking for the answer'. "But she stared straight at me and called me!" Donghun nodded, tapping his fingers against their table. "There was even another kid who was raising his hand!"

The mindless chatter continued for a bit. Yuchan ranting was adorable. He didn't have a mean bone in his body but his brain could sure come up with some mean adjectives to describe people. 

Donghun's phone gave a light buzz against the table, cutting off his talk about a romance movie he watched earlier. It was a twitter notification from Jun. He blearily registers some text before turning off his phone and putting it down again.

"Who was that?" Yuchan's voice sounds airy. He is clearly drunk now. 

"Twitter notification, nothing big." Donghun shrugs, drinking the last bit of his beer. It was his 2nd glass only, he wasn't hammered like Yuchan.

"You have notifications on for someone? Is it some hot celebrity?"

More like a dorky youtuber, Donghun thinks.

"Is it that guy Kwan was talking about?"

"You can remember that conversation, but not my favorite color, thanks." Donghun snorted. 

"I didn't know you watched a youtuber religiously," Yuchan teased. 

"I don't watch him religiously, just sometimes."

"What's his channel?"

"You're an idiot if you think I'm going to give it to you."

 

Driving Yuchan back to his dorms was rather uneventful. The younger fell asleep a few minutes after Donghun started driving. Yuchan was taller than him, combine that with the metabolism of a hummingbird, you had a very lanky boy. Which meant that Yuchan got drunk on 1 bottle easily. 

Donghun was older, he probably shouldn't let Yuchan drink that much and have to face the hangover of a lifetime the next morning. But it was funny seeing Yuchan like that. 

Sue him.

It wasn't terribly late when Donghun got home. It was barely nearing midnight and for someone who could stay awake until 3 A.M to watch romance movies, it was nothing. He wanted to catch up on sleep though and all that chicken he ate was starting to settle in his stomach. 

Fate would deem him unworthy of getting a nice rest because the minute he settles down on his bed and closes his eyes, his phone buzzes. 

**12:08-Pizzayoon**

_Hun? You still up?_

**12:11-Hun**

_Why are you still up?_

**12:12-Pizzayoon** _  
_

_I need to talk to you. it's kinda urgent_

**12:15-Hun**

_So urgent that it can't till morning?_

_did you and kwan have a fight or something?_

**12:20-Pizzayoon**

_nope, i just need to call you_

**12:22-Hun**

_Sehyoon Kim, choosing to call over text?_

_Who are you and what did you do to Yoon?_

**12:23-Pizzayoon**

_shut up_

 

True to his word, Sehyoon called.

"What is it?" Donghun sighed. He was looking forward to burying himself under blankets and pillows.

"Byeongkwan was talking about that guy that lives next door to you, the youtuber-"

"I swear, if you and Byeongkwan are trying to set me up, I'm going to hang up."

There was no response for a few seconds before Sehyoon's confused voice finally rung through again. "Uh no? I didn't-what?"

"Nothing, just continue," Donghun said. His eyes were starting to get heavy.

"I know him. Junhee Park, kind of naive and nerdy looking?" 

"How?"

"I spilled coffee on him-" Donghun stifled a laugh. "But that's not the point!"

"Okay, so you know the guy, why is that so urgent?" Donghun yawned. "Did you guys date or something? Are you trying to prepare me for the second-hand embarrassment I'll get if you two run into each other in the halls?"

"We didn't date, I just wanted to let you know."

"You interrupted my chance of blissful sleep for this?"

"Byeongkwan dared me." And with that, Sehyoon hung up

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments encourage me to write faster!


	6. Tuners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sehyoon and Byeongkwan are up to something, Donghun can tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I posted this chapter by accident and almost had a heart attack.

Donghun can't always keep up with Byeongkwan's shenanigans. Once the younger started dating Sehyoon, he got much better at keeping things from Donghun. That wasn't great. It meant that Donghun got pranked much more often than he previously did.

But this, this was just glaringly obvious.

It was a simple Sunday morning. Donghun just finished up his delicious breakfast of eggs and toast and was sipping some coffee. He gets a text from Yuchan, innocent enough. They texted back and forth while Donghun was basking in the warm sunlight. Yuchan recommended that he watched a 'super awesome video!' and he gladly complied.

But then, everything came crashing down. Donghun, so trustingly clicked on the link.

It was Junhee's video.

A very recent video of Junhee.

And guess who showed the video to Yuchan?

Byeongkwan Kim.

Now, Donghun doesn't approve of murder. When it comes to Byeongkwan, however, there is a slight exception. He wasn't going to give an unfair trial though. So, Donghun asked Yuchan a very easy question: Where did you see the video first?

_kwan sent me it_

_he said you would like it_

_that guy is pretty cute honestly_

_if you don't get him, i just might :D_

It was an empty threat- not that Donghun would care regardless if Junhee and Yuchan started dating. But Donghun knew Yuchan had his sights on someone from his campus. And maybe, just maybe, he would mind if Yuchan started dating Junhee. Not in a jealousy way.. just...

He found Junhee first.

That's all.

 

Sundays were filled with a mixture of relaxation and dread. Yes, you still had one more day of freedom before you would have to return to the soul-crushing reality of work. But it was only one more day. Even though Donghun adores his job, leisurely laying on the couch and watching mindless TV sounds better. 

He may be succumbing to the brainwashing techniques of television. And that eventually, all of this time wasted will rot his brain, making him submissive to the New World Order. At least the shows were entertaining.

Some co-workers text him. They were friends. If you count seeing each other almost every week and having casual conversation over sandwiches, friends. Offers of hanging out came through, which he politely declined, making up the excuse of not feeling that well. Some entertaining content did arise from the texts though.

Like how one of his co-workers, Minseok, ended up ordering an air mattress one night, thinking it was an ice cream sandwich. 

Donghun keeps that as one of the reasons to not get drunk.

It was times like this where Donghun felt a pang of envy for Junhee. All he had to was make videos, how hard could that be? Sure there was editing, composing..making sure the video actually got uploaded...Okay, maybe it wasn't as easy as it seems. 

 

 

 

 


	7. Nut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghun isn't quite sure how he got himself in this situation

"What about performing on stage?" Donghun blurted out. Immediately regretting his question when he saw Junhee's lips purse, ever so slightly. How on earth did he get into this?

 

Asking your neighbor for a cup of sugar seemed to be a cliche explored in many movies. Stereotypically, it's a cute girl that just moved in that encounters her hot neighbor. She is shy and doesn't know how to approach them and makes up the golden excuse: "Can I borrow a cup of sugar?". And then they start talking and fall in love, all of that jazz that Hollywood can make dozens of movies off of. 

This situation, all thought not cookie-cutter, is similar. Donghun doesn't quite know how to react when Junhee comes knocking on his door, sweater and pants covered in flour, asking for an apple.

"An apple?" Donghun echoed, trying to make sense of the scene. He was just sweeping his floors, being a responsible adult. 

"Yeah, if you just have one laying around.." Junhee trailed off. He had a nervous smile planted on his face. 

"Can I ask what you need it for?" Donghun continued.

"A pie! My sister has her birthday coming up," Junhee explained, "She isn't much of a cake person and I wanted to try my hand at baking-" Given the fact that Junhee almost burned down his apartment by cooking, this probably won't go to well. "I'm an apple short according to the recipe."

"I might have one, give me a minute," Donghun said. He kept the door open and walked towards his kitchen. He rummaged through his fridge. He really needed to go grocery shopping. But he did find one red apple, luckily. "Does the color matter?"

"Nope!"

"You're in luck," Donghun said, smiling. "One red apple for your pie."

"If you want, you can have some of the pie," Junhee offered. Donghun blinked at him. "For letting me have an apple. It just seems fair...?" 

"How do I know it will be any good?" Donghun teased. "You said you are trying out baking. It doesn't sound like you have much experience."

Junhee pouted at the small insult. "I don't accept criticism unless you are a baking professional."

"And if I am?" He wasn't, by any means. 

"Then, come over and critic my skills."

He could see a hint of mischievousness in Junhee's eyes.

Clever.

 

Books. There were a lot of them in Junhee's apartment. Neatly put into shelves and some placed on a coffee table. A few picture frames hung in the hallway towards the door. An assortment of cactuses (that made a preview in some of the lives Junhee did) was carefully lined up and placed on the kitchen counter. It felt warm and inviting. 

"Do you want water?" Junhee asked. The illusion of neatness in the apartment was quickly shattered by the kitchen. It wasn't terribly messy but flour covered the counter and some parts of the floor. Apple skins littered the counter and sugar covered the sink. "Sorry about the mess, you can just sit on the bar stools so you won't get messy."

Donghun gratefully accepted a glass of water. They sat in silence for a bit. Junhee rushed around, cutting up the apple and muttering the instructions under his breath. He..well, Junhee was a bit of an airhead. He looked around for a knife despite having one in his hand. He stared at a bowl of sugar for a good minute before snapping back into reality. Donghun was genuinely amazed by the fact that Junhee was able to keep himself alive.

Meanwhile, Donghun allowed himself to see a bit more of the apartment. He could see the area that Junhee filmed his videos, accompanied by a small keyboard and a guitar leaning against a bookshelf. "Filming videos must be a hassle huh?"

If there were a tripod and a camera present in that area, then anyone could assume that Junhee filmed videos. But, there wasn't. That one area looked normal. Junhee's absent-mindedness must've been affecting Donghun.

He could hear Junhee drop wooden spoon. "I said that aloud, didn't I?"

"Uh-how did you-" Junhee stuttered. He didn't look scared, more so surprised.

 Donghun, willing his racing heart to calm down a bit. "You've never met a fan in real life?" 

"No! I didn't even think I really had-" Junhee's voice cut off and he just buried his face in his hands. Donghun held back a laugh.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not going to kill you."

"Wait, did you just recently find my channel?" Junhee's voice got slightly lower at the last word. "Since we're neighbors, I guess it would make sense. Youtube's algorithm is so messed up at times but it's good that my videos are getting recommended to people-"

"Would it freak you out more to know that I've been subscribed to your channel since it first started?"

Junhee paled. "I'm sorry for putting you through that torture."

Donghun snorted at that. "Your videos were pretty bad.."

"Hey! I don't have to give you any pie!" Junhee cried out. Donghun eyed the mess below. He quickly decided that wouldn't be the worst punishment in the world. "This is weird. I know I have fans but it's hard to see past the numbers on the screen."

A weird ball of anxiety, that Donghun hadn't even realized was there, was lifted from his chest. Unwanted consequences could've arisen from this encounter if this had gone wrong. 

"Thank you, for supporting me-" Junhee's nose scrunched up. "God, this is so awkward, I'm sorry."

"I'm surprised, someone with 1 million subscribers hasn't met a fan before," Donghun said, twirling the rim of his glass absent-mindedly. "You've never done meet and greets?"

"Wouldn't you know if I did?" Junhee grinned, a spark of confidence appearing again.

"I'm not obsessed!"

"To answer your question, no," Junhee muttered. "I didn't think I had enough fans to even do a meet and greet."

Even then, Donghun is surprised Junhee hasn't gotten signed to a record label. A handful of Junhee's videos have gone viral, racking in millions of views, sadly not that many subscribers. It didn't make sense.

"What about performing on stage?" Donghun blurted out. Immediately regretting his question when he saw Junhee's lips purse, ever so slightly. How on earth did he get into this? 

"I'm kind of awkward if you couldn't tell that already," Junhee chuckled. "I'm fine with staying in my Youtube lane."

A tone of hesitance could be sensed in the answer. Donghun didn't decide to press it though, technically, they just met. It felt strange, being 'pals' with someone who he saw as a celebrity in a way. That celebrity illusion kept on getting shattered though, especially when he saw Junhee drop an egg on the floor. 

"Do you want some help?"

"Yes please!" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any errors are mine!  
> And yay! The story finally starts moving a bit quicker!


	8. Calgut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small blast from the past.

The number of textbooks stacked upon Donghun's desk was intimidating. How could his parents except him to get good grades if he is forced to stay up until the early morning studying? He was only 30 minutes in and his eyes were already starting to weigh down. Donghun let out a groan of annoyance. He needed to have something to keep him awake, he had a test tomorrow and his parents would murder him if he failed.

Drowsily, Donghun powered up his computer. It was nearing 1 A.M, Jun should've posted something by now. He tried to focus on memorizing a science formula while his computer booted up. His bed, warm covers and soft pillows, seemed to be calling to him. Donghun glared at the inanimate object before taking a few notes. Finally, his computer displayed the log-in screen.

It took a bit longer but Donghun finally got onto Junhee's page. And, as expected, a new video was posted. 14:59 was the duration time. Surely the second part would be up soon enough. Donghun allowed his eyes to slip closed for a few seconds while the video loaded.

Junhee appeared on the screen. A small lamp lit up a small portion of his desk. His face was slightly out of focus as always but you could make out small little fangs and dimples. After giving an anxious look towards his door, Junhee started mindlessly strumming against his guitar. Donghun smiled at the sound. It was a bit crackly and the mic cut out at certain points but it was still calming. 

Reluctantly, Donghun refocused on the task at hand. The music became white noise in the background.

 

No more than 10 minutes must've passed until the music stopped. Confused, Donghun looked at the screen.

"Something really cool happened today," Junhee whispered, eyes still focused on a music sheet in front of him. "I reached 200 subscribers! And it's only been 4 months, I don't really know what to say." Junhee hummed happily for a bit before continuing. "I'm going to keep on playing but I just wanted to say thank you..all 200 of you."

Cute, Donghun thought. 

 

 The test is harder than expected. He can practically feel the tension in the air. His brain feels all fuzzy and the hours of studying seemed to be pointless. Once Donghun read the first question, his brain went totally blank. Well, that's great. It couldn't be that bad if he dropped out of school right? In an odd attempt to jog his memory back to life, Donghun starts humming the nameless songs Junhee played last night.

It didn't work that well. The only thing Donghun gained was a few glares from his peers. The tune did help calm Donghun down. If he failed the test it wouldn't be the end of the world, sure his parents would be disappointed but he can easily get his grade back up .

Donghun held back a sigh and attempted to answer the rest of the questions.

 

 

**1:08-Pizzayoon**

_Finally decided to make a move huh_

 

**1:15-Hun**

_Bold of you to assume that I know what you’re talking about_

 

**1:15-Pizzayoon**

_I’m talking about Junhee you idiot_

_You should be happy_

_now Kwan doesnt have blackmail material_

 Donghun stared at his phone for a minute, now hating the fact that one of his private students canceled on him last minute.

  **1:19-Pizzayoon**

_‘Sehyoon! You know that neighbor I was talking about? HE WATCHES MY VIDEOS’_

_We’re friends Donghun_

_he tells me almost everything_

 

  **1:20-Hun**

_What the hell do you mean by blackmail material?_

 

  **1:22-Pizzayoon**

_Avoiding the topic I see_

 

**1:23-Hun**

_I’m not avoiding anything you brat_

_What do you mean by blackmail material?_

 

**1:28-Pizzayoon**

_No offense but you are clearly whipped for Junhee_

_And that’s just going off of what Byeongkwan has told me_

 

**1:28-Hun**

_You and Byeongkwan are: annoying_

_Why do you care about my love life anyway?_

 

**1:30-Pizzayoon**

_Romance is interesting, what can I say?_

_Getting into a relationship might be good for you_

 

**1:31-Hun**

_Blocked and reported_

 

**1:32-Pizzayoon**

_I buy you food_

_You can’t block me_

 

Donghun left Sehyoon on read. Taking a deep breath, Donghun counted to 10 and tried not to scream in the middle of his break room. He had a reputation to keep after all.

Byeongkwan was a brat, that was nothing new. Donghun was starting to regret telling Byeongkwan anything about his current predicament. Byeongkwan wouldn’t actually do anything to cause harm of course. Neither would Sehyoon or Yuchan. They are all just having a bit too much fun teasing him.

With how much Donghun teased the rest of them, he guessed it was only fair.

Did he really need to get into a relationship though? With a guy he barely knew. Could Donghun say that? While he for sure couldn't say he knew Junhee personally, he knew a lot of random facts. It was an odd level of friendship. Especially since Junhee knew virtually nothing about him. 

Why is he even thinking about this so much!

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Do you want to kill me after reading that?  
> The feeling is mutual.


End file.
